IRVINE : Mentor Teacher Plan to Be Studied Tonight

The school board tonight will review a program aimed at helping new teachers cope with their first few years in the classroom.

The program, part of a $398,000 grant the Irvine Unified School District is sharing with several other districts in Orange County, will provide new teachers with added instruction and pair them with veteran “mentor” teachers.

As many as 20 “intern” teachers in Irvine are scheduled to take part in the program, which is being run in conjunction with the UC Irvine Education Department.

“Intern” teachers are usually people working toward their teaching credentials who use their time in the classroom as a way of gaining experience.

Under the plan, these interns will receive new training in “teaching survival skills” such as how to discipline students and manage a classroom.

“In a class of 30 students, you have 30 different needs,” said Sue Long, Irvine’s deputy superintendent for personnel. “A new teacher has to be able to manage all these things.”

The interns will receive instruction at UC Irvine on new curriculum and teaching methods. They will also work closely with experienced teachers.

“The idea to is have someone who really has been there and knows how the system is currently operated,” Long said of a mentor teacher. “That person can serve as an expert and be a tremendous asset.”

School districts in Tustin, Costa Mesa, Newport Beach and Santa Ana are also taking part in the program.